1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of methods and apparatus for use in providing discounted call rates for wireless communications.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional telephone billing systems, the basic cost for a telephone toll call placed between telephone subscribers is typically billed to the subscriber originating the call. Such a basic cost is the cost that the originator at a wired telephone station would be required to pay for the call if the call were to be completed directly to another wired telephone station terminating the number dialed. The basic cost for each such call is usually a function of the length of time that passes while the originating subscriber is connected to the terminating subscriber.
To develop the basic cost, time is divided into predetermined indivisible time periods, typically of identical length and conventionally one minute in length, to which a period cost is assigned and the accumulation of the period costs for each of the indivisible time periods in the call is the basic cost. The period cost is typically expressed as a dollar value. In some systems, however, period costs may be expressed in terms of messages units, where each message unit has an identical fixed unit cost.
In addition to its basic cost, each call may have a set of additional costs. Typically, the additional costs are each allocated, individually, to one of the subscribers on the call. These additional costs represent the costs associated with particular advanced services beyond the minimum basic telephone service provided for the call. For example, for calls between a wired telephone and a wireless telephone, the basic cost for the call is typically borne by the originating subscriber while the additional cost of so-called xe2x80x9cair time chargesxe2x80x9d is typically borne by the wireless subscriber. Similar to wired telephone charges, air time charges are usually a function of the length of time that passes while wireless telephone is connected.
With conventional wireless billing, some distinctions are made based on whether or not the user has subscribed to airtime services with the carrier currently being accessed. If a call is originated within an area serviced by a carrier with which the caller has a pre-existing billing arrangement, such that a local telephone number has been assigned to the cellular telephone by that carrier, the call can potentially be less expensive than a call made outside such a so-called xe2x80x9chome area,xe2x80x9d during which time the cellular telephone is said to be xe2x80x9croamingxe2x80x9d with respect to that carrier.
More particularly, each service company broadcasts a unique System Identification Number (SID) on all paging channels of the frequency sets on which it provides service in a given service area. A suitably equipped cellular telephone can thus determine which service company is providing service on a given paging channel by identifying the SID. Receipt of a home SID is not necessarily required to be able to place a call. Many service companies have reciprocal billing arrangements with one another, meaning that a call can be placed on a frequency associated with a non-home cellular system. However, use of a non-home service company in this manner to place a call may result in the imposition of a surcharge (e.g., a fixed surcharge or a higher per-unit rate).
Wireless communications have become quite popular. Each member of a large family or group, which often has one or more local wired telephones, often has an individual wireless telephone. Calls between family or group members are often frequent and lengthy, which makes it difficult for such groups to control total airtime charges. One type of wireless communication system, such as that provided by Nextel Communications, has the ability to handle both wireless telephone calls and wireless radio calls within talk groups. In this system, users are not charged for each wireless radio call as they are for wireless telephone calls, and therefore business groups have a way to control wireless costs. However, most wireless communication systems are not equipped with the infrastructure required to handle such communications.
Accordingly, there is an existing need to provide alternative incentives for groups or family members using wireless communications.
Methods and apparatus for use in providing discounted call rates for wireless communications are described. In a preferred method, the method includes the steps of determining whether an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber of a telephone call are located within a predetermined geographic area, where the predetermined geographic area is smaller than and included within boundaries of a home area of at least one of the subscribers having a wireless connection in the telephone call; determining whether a predetermined relationship exists between the originating and terminating subscribers; and providing data that is indicative of a discounted call rate for the wireless connection if it is determined that the originating and terminating subscribers are located within the predetermined geographic area and have the predetermined relationship. Preferably, the data is indicative of a $0.00 charge per unit time period for the wireless connection.